For those that thought Downton Abbey was only for the 50-somethings and over Anglophile, think again. There’s a new audience demo in town and they are putting aside their traditional beer pong red Solo cups every Sunday evening for a bit of Havarti cheese, a proper cup of tea and a heavy dose of their favorite English […]

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For those that thought Downton Abbey was only for the 50-somethings and over Anglophile, think again. There’s a new audience demo in town and they are putting aside their traditional beer pong red Solo cups every Sunday evening for a bit of Havarti cheese, a proper cup of tea and a heavy dose of their favorite English period drama, Downton Abbey. To prove their point that Nielsen needs to pay attention to the Frat boys demo when it comes to reporting on traditional television viewing, Dave and Brian, a comedy singing duo out of Philadelphia, have recently released the video for their song “Downton Abbey (With My Bros) showing how important DA is to the Delta Alpha Sunday night at the Frat House festivities.

After seeing this, it’s clear that Dean Wormer would never have any reason to put these guys on ‘double secret probation’. No getting through life fat, drunk and stupid for the boys at Delta Alpha and definitely no Sunday night toga parties here, at least not until after March 1.

For good reason, the UK is all-abuzz about the new series of Foyle’s War, which started this past Sunday on ITV. Beginning with the last set of programs, the Anthony Horowitz drama moved from World War II through the struggles of post-war rebuilding to a much less visible but just as important war, the Cold […]

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For good reason, the UK is all-abuzz about the new series of Foyle’s War, which started this past Sunday on ITV. Beginning with the last set of programs, the Anthony Horowitz drama moved from World War II through the struggles of post-war rebuilding to a much less visible but just as important war, the Cold War. Christopher Foyle, played by Michael Kitchen, ‘un-retires’ once again to return from America to begin work with the Security Service, or MI5, leaving the quiet coastal town of Hastings behind. Unfortunately, for Foyle, things don’t change much with respect to how he is perceived by his superiors as he continues to frustrate them with his methodical way of going about things. Especially in the case of the his new high-ranking British intelligence bosses, who would much prefer his just mind his own business. The one constant in his life, thankfully, is Sam Stewart, played by Honeysuckle Weeks.

Next up this Sunday on ITV, is “Trespass”. When a young man is assaulted on university grounds, Foyle wonders if the attack is racially motivated as the victim is the wealthy son of a high profile Jewish businessman. As you ready yourselves for this week’s installment, imagine Jim Parker’s hauntingly melancholy opening theme to Foyle’s War as played by Michael Kitchen on the electric guitar. In addition to Foyle’s, Parker has also composed music for Moll Flanders, Midsomer Murders, House of Eliott and House of Cards (the real one, not the Kevin Spacey one). I love it when Kitchen gets it going and cranks it up to a level that only Nigel Tufnel has dared to go before. Pretty cool with an even cooler tip of the hat…

One other bit of trivia while we are talking all things Foyle’s War, although he hasn’t been seen or referred to in recent series, Foyle’s fans might recognize Julian Ovenden, who played Christopher Foyle’s RAF fighter pilot son, Andrew, as Charles Blake, one of Lady Mary’s many suitors in the most recent two series of Downton Abbey. While the new series concludes on Sunday, 18 January in the UK, American viewers will be able to see all three episodes on public television stations beginning May 2015.

Leave it to CNET to find the perfect way for British telly fans to end 2014 and dive head first into 2015 with the Doctor Who theme performed by an all-robot orchestra! Well, almost all-robots….there are a few humans allowed in the band this year. As part of this year’s Royal Institution Christmas Lectures on […]

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Leave it to CNET to find the perfect way for British telly fans to end 2014 and dive head first into 2015 with the Doctor Who theme performed by an all-robot orchestra! Well, almost all-robots….there are a few humans allowed in the band this year. As part of this year’s Royal Institution Christmas Lectures on UK TV channel BBC 4, 15 robotic musicians and a few humans to teamed up for an absolutely brilliant version of the iconic series’ theme song. For those that may be a bit unfamiliar with the Royal Institution Christmas Lectures, they were started by the British scientist Michael Faraday in 1825, and are broadcast in the UK on television annually over the holidays. Every year, the theme of the lecture changes and they are presented by experts in their field.

With this years theme entitled “Sparks will fly: How to hack your home,” presented by Professor Danielle George, an electrical engineer from the University of Manchester, what better way to get your point across and celebrate the holidays at the same time than with some talented robots and a few humans paying tribute to Doctor Who. It’s pretty much the definition of a perfect match given the Time Lord’s perpetual run-ins with mechanical and robot-like villains over the last several hundred years. It’s also proof positive that not all robots want to destroy…or, exterminate, as the case may be.

Screenshot by Bonnie Burton/CNET

“Inspired by the Royal Institution’s very own Michael Faraday, Prof. Danielle George attempts to use simple motors to construct the world’s greatest robot orchestra,” according to the Royal Institution’s website. “In this lecture, Danielle will explain how these robotic and motor-driven appliances work and show how they can adapted to help you kick start a technological revolution.”

The Royal Institution’s website also has numerous science projects you can make yourself with “stuff”. So, what are you waiting for? We all have “stuff”, don’t we?

For the past two nights, Carnegie Hall was the place to be if you happen to find yourself as part of the growing number of individuals who are pretty much done with Christmas music at this point in the holiday season mainly because they have been playing it in stores since before Halloween. The perfect […]

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For the past two nights, Carnegie Hall was the place to be if you happen to find yourself as part of the growing number of individuals who are pretty much done with Christmas music at this point in the holiday season mainly because they have been playing it in stores since before Halloween. The perfect antidote was provided by none other than an original member of Monty Python, Eric Idle, who is also known for Spamalot, the brilliant stage musical version of the all-time classic Python film, “Monty Python and the Holy Grail”. What could be better than a Monty Python inspired oratorio at Christmas time? What could possibly be a better time of year than the present to hear the likes of “Hail to the Shoe,” “We Love Sheep” and, of course, “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life”!

Not The Messiah (He’s a Very Naughty Boy), based on the 1979 Python film, “Monty Python’s Life of Brian”, tells the story of Brian, Jesus’ next door manger neighbor who himself is also mistaken for the Messiah. This is nothing short of classic Python. For the Carnegie Hall performance, Idle was joined onstage by the Collegiate Chorale with Broadway performers Victoria Clark (Light in the Piazza, Cinderella), Marc Kudisch (Assassins, The Apple Tree), Lauren Worsham (Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder) and William Ferguson and under the direction of conductor, Ted Sperling. Not The Messiah (He’s a Very Naughty Boy) has played to sold-out audiences around the world since 2007 beginning with the original Royal Albert Hall performance.

Idle and his Spamalot partner-in-crime have really dialed up the stakes to a Nigel Tufnel-like “11” by integrating the brilliant but “low” Python-style of humor with the high culture tradition of the symphony orchestra and specifically, the oratorio, which is a large musical composition for orchestra, choir, and soloists. Idle has always been quick in his spot-on assessment of Not the Messiah explaining that in composing Not The Messiah, Du Prez “…used every kind of music, from Mozart to Gilbert & Sullivan and to doo-wop. You have the Beatles followed by Bach followed by Beethoven followed by the blues. So the oratorio contains all genres of music, including a surprise appearance by Bob Dylan [played by Idle]”.

“It’s very sweet because we do it as a full oratorio, white tie and tails,” Idle explains, adding, “So it’s done with dignity. Fancy. Taken very seriously, which sort of increases the silliness of it all… I think.” Over the past two nights, Carnegie Hall audiences probably came away with what they expected except the dignity part. It is Python, after all. Let’s hope it makes its way around the U.S. in the not-too-distant future even if it’s not Christmas time.

This pic is from our Summer 2010 interview with Dame Judi Dench for the PBS special, Behind the Britcom: From Script to Screen. She was absolutely the most delightful person on the planet, bar none. What struck us the most was her admitting that what terrified her the most was the time right before going onstage […]

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This pic is from our Summer 2010 interview with Dame Judi Dench for the PBS special, Behind the Britcom: From Script to Screen. She was absolutely the most delightful person on the planet, bar none. What struck us the most was her admitting that what terrified her the most was the time right before going onstage to record every episode of As Time Goes By. We found out later that day that she was to sing “Send in the Clowns” at a July 31 Royal Albert Hall to mark Stephen Sondheim’s 80th birthday. That BBC Proms performance was only days after she sat down with us….and, As Time Goes By terrified her?

Approximately three years removed from his brilliant portrayal of Dr. Gregory House, the pain medication-dependent, unconventional, misanthropic medical genius, TVLine.com reports that Hugh Laurie is returning to the small screen to join the cast of Veep, the HBO political comedy series which stars Julia Louis-Dreyfus as the country’s vice-president-turned-Commander-in-Chief. While this will be Laurie’s first […]

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Approximately three years removed from his brilliant portrayal of Dr. Gregory House, the pain medication-dependent, unconventional, misanthropic medical genius, TVLine.com reports that Hugh Laurie is returning to the small screen to join the cast of Veep, the HBO political comedy series which stars Julia Louis-Dreyfus as the country’s vice-president-turned-Commander-in-Chief. While this will be Laurie’s first scripted small screen series effort since House ended in 2012, the former Golden Globe winner hasn’t seen his workload diminish too much choosing instead to focus on his first love, music, releasing two CD’s and filming the PBS special, “Let Them Talk”, which took Laurie on at trip to New Orleans to explore the roots of blues and jazz music, and “Live on the Queen Mary”, which also aired on PBS.

While his Veep role remains somewhat secretive (now that Dreyfus is POTUS, could he possibly become the new ‘Veep’?), Laurie has already begun filming in Baltimore for the upcoming fourth season which will premiere in 2015. The coming year is already shaping up to be a busy year for Laurie who will also star alongside fellow English actor, Tom Hiddleston (Thor, I Saw the Light), in the upcoming BBC adaptation of the John le Carre novel, The Night Manager, which will also broadcast on AMC network in America.

Season four of Veep is set to air in 2015 on HBO. I could vote for a Louis-Dreyfus/Laurie next election, how about you?

]]>http://tellyspotting.kera.org/2014/11/22/hugh-laurie-added-to-cast-of-hbos-veep/feed/0It's "Christmas at Downton Abbey" just in time for the holidayshttp://tellyspotting.kera.org/2014/11/14/its-christmas-at-downton-abbey-just-in-time-for-the-holidays/
http://tellyspotting.kera.org/2014/11/14/its-christmas-at-downton-abbey-just-in-time-for-the-holidays/#commentsFri, 14 Nov 2014 06:03:42 +0000http://tellyspotting.org/?p=37677

I know, I’m going against my better judgement and have succumbed to the unthinkable by discussing Christmas before Thanksgiving, but this is too good to pass up. As the UK has all but put a lid on the 5th series of Downton Abbey with only the Christmas episode to go, it’s now all about American […]

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I know, I’m going against my better judgement and have succumbed to the unthinkable by discussing Christmas before Thanksgiving, but this is too good to pass up. As the UK has all but put a lid on the 5th series of Downton Abbey with only the Christmas episode to go, it’s now all about American audiences as they begin to plan their Downton watching parties and prepare holiday dishes with the overall goal of making Mrs. Patmore proud. That said, there is something new that you might want to think about for that special Downton Abbey fan in your household this holiday season.

Christmas is starting early at Downton Abbey with the November 17 release of the double-album Christmas at Downton Abbey. It’s comprised of 45 holiday tunes, including seven by members of the cast. Two of the most tender numbers, “It Came Upon A Midnight Clear” and “The First Noel,” are sung by Downton’s very own Cora, Countess of Grantham (now Lady Grantham), played by Elizabeth McGovern. McGovern has a long history with music from her days at Julliard to today and her forming the folk group, Sadie and the Hotheads in 2008 where she provides lead vocals and play acoustic guitar. “I’ve always got my guitar on the set of Downton Abbey and am rushing away to perform,” says McGovern. If you’ve heard Sadie and the Hotheads, you know this isn’t just some passing fancy with McGovern as the band has performed twice at the Isle of Wight Festival, played the Edinburgh Fringe and opened for Sting at the Montreux Jazz Festival.

On one track of Christmas at Downton Abbey, “The First Noel”, she is joined by fellow Downton Abbey cast member Julian Ovenden, a.k.a. Charles Blake, an actor who has his own musical theater background and will appear on several of the album’s tracks. McGovern isn’t the only prominent cast member with musical ability as Michelle Dockery, who plays Lady Mary Crawley, has performed live with McGovern’s Sadie and the Hotheads band and appeared on their second album.

Just so you know, there will be a bit of competition this holiday season with respect to Downton Abbey Christmas CD’s. Don’t know about you but I’m really hoping to find this particular Downton Christmas CD under the tree come Christmas morning. What about you?

As we reported earlier, Tom Hiddleston (Thor, Avengers) will be lending his monster acting and, now, singing talents to the upcoming film, I Saw The Light. While Hiddleston is no stranger to belting out tunes, his role as the ‘King of the Hillbillies’ may be a bit of a challenge as he will not only […]

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As we reported earlier, Tom Hiddleston (Thor, Avengers) will be lending his monster acting and, now, singing talents to the upcoming film, I Saw The Light. While Hiddleston is no stranger to belting out tunes, his role as the ‘King of the Hillbillies’ may be a bit of a challenge as he will not only have to bring with him a believable Alabama accent, but delve into the personal life of the star who, in his short 29 years of life, gained worldwide recognition for his “pivotal role in transforming country music into a major musical and cultural force” and ended by being enshrined in the Country Music Hall of Fame.

In preparation for his upcoming role, Hiddleston took to the stage this past weekend at the Wheatland Music Festival to sing “Move It On Over”, Williams’ first major country hit in 1947. A tip of the hat to kzookev for the video from the crowd.

One of the major country music stars of the late 1940s and early 1950s, with eight No 1 country singles to his name, Williams died on New Year’s Day in 1953, a victim of his alcoholism and drug abuse. Based on the Colin Escott biography of Hank’s life, I Saw the Light is due to start filming in Louisiana next month. Don’t know about you but I can’t wait to hear Tom sing “Your Cheatin’ Heart”, “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry” and “Hey Good Lookin’”!

Who knew (or remembers) that the current host of The Late Late Show, Craig Ferguson, and the newest Traveling Time Lord (Peter Capaldi) go way back. As the story goes, Ferguson began as a drummer in a rock band called Exposure. He then joined a punk band called The Bastards from Hell, which was later […]

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Who knew (or remembers) that the current host of The Late Late Show, Craig Ferguson, and the newest Traveling Time Lord (Peter Capaldi) go way back. As the story goes, Ferguson began as a drummer in a rock band called Exposure. He then joined a punk band called The Bastards from Hell, which was later renamed Dreamboys, which was fronted by guitar player and lead vocalist Peter Capaldi. They performed regularly in the early 80’s in Glasgow at such places as The Hellfire Club, where they record a live 3-song 7″ vinyl recording in October of 1980. Also in the band was Temple Clark on bass guitar, who is now a highly successful feature film storyboard artist that has worked on such films as The Avengers, Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows, and two films in the Harry Potter franchise, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

Not much is known about the former Bastards of Hell, other than what Capaldi discussed on The Late Late Show a few years ago. The ensuing discussion of their early days exploits in Glasgow are priceless.

Tom Hiddleston has been tagged for the title role in the Hank Williams biopic, I Saw the Light. The Westminster-born star of The Avengers, Thor, War Horse, Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris and the BBC’s Hollow Crown series, will portray the “King of the Hillbillies” in a film about the country music star’s life. Williams […]

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Tom Hiddleston has been tagged for the title role in the Hank Williams biopic, I Saw the Light. The Westminster-born star of The Avengers, Thor, War Horse, Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris and the BBC’s Hollow Crown series, will portray the “King of the Hillbillies” in a film about the country music star’s life. Williams was one of the major country music stars of the late 1940s and early 1950s, with eight No. 1 country singles to his name. Williams died on New Year’s Day in 1953 in the back seat of a Cadillac at a gas station in West Virginia, on his way to a concert at the young age of 29, a victim of his alcoholism and drug abuse.

Photo by Todd Plitt, USA TODAY
AP Photo/Country Music Hall of Fame

Set to begin shooting in Louisiana in October, the film will not only feature Hiddleston with Williams’s trademark Alabama accent but his music too, with Hiddleston set to sing classics such as “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry”, “Hey, Good Lookin'” and “Your Cheatin’ Heart”. The film, which will be directed by Marc Abraham (Flash of Genius), who adapted the script from Colin Escott’s biography of Williams, will tell the story of Williams’ meteoric rise, how he created one of the greatest bodies of work in American music, and the tragic effect of fame on his health and personal life. While I’ve always marveled at British actors who are able to speak with an American accent (you’ve got to see Martin Freeman in Fargo), Hiddleston should have no problem given the fact he played F. Scott Fitzgerald in Midnight in Paris. I can’t wait to hear him sing! It will, no doubt, erase the memories of a 1964 George Hamilton as Hank Williams.